CCGL9065: Our Response to Climate Change: HK2100

Space War, 1% of 1%, and Mars Colonization

Dr. Hongshan Guo and Class

This Week’s Battlefield

Two Sides. Two Futures for Humanity.

PRO-CLIMATE

= Fix Earth First

= “Space is escapism for billionaires”

PRO-DEVELOPMENT

= Explore & Expand

= “Humanity needs a backup plan”

The Core Tension

PRO-CLIMATE PRO-DEVELOPMENT
Fix problems here first Innovation needs frontiers
Resources for Earth Investment in future tech
Billionaire vanity projects Human species survival
Rocket emissions matter Space tech benefits everyone
One planet is enough Don’t put all eggs in one basket

This tension defines debates about humanity’s future.

1: Introduction to the Modern Space Race

  • Renewed interest in space:
    • New players: Private companies, billionaires
    • Goals: Mars colonization, space tourism
  • Dual narrative:
    • Progress vs. escapism concerns

Space Race

2: Historical Context - The Original Space Race

  • US vs. USSR competition:
    • Sputnik launch (1957)
    • Moon landing (1969)
  • Symbolized:
    • National pride
    • Technological superiority

Checkout a Collage Mockup on Sputnik Crisis

3: Historical vs. Modern Space Race

  • Then: Government-led
    • Apollo program budget: ~$25.4 billion (~$150 billion in today’s dollars)
    • Eugene Cernan was the last person to walk on the moon moon in 1972.
    • Communication, medical and technological advancements
    • ‘thaw’ in cold war led to cooperation between two nations
  • Now: Private sector involvement
    • SpaceX valuation: Over $100 billion as of 2021
    • Competitors catching up but not fast enough

4: The Billionaire’s Space Race

  • Elon Musk’s SpaceX:
    • Goal: Mars colonization
    • Anecdote: Launched a Tesla into space (2018)
  • Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin:
    • Focus: Space tourism
    • Quote: “We need to move heavy industry into space.”
  • Now out: Virgin Galactic (Virgin Orbit)

5: Environmental Impact - Spacecraft Emissions

  • Rocket emissions:
    • Can release 300 tons of CO2 per launch
    • Does not get publicized on how this can be reduced as space explorations goes full commercial as tourism
  • Comparison:
    • A single space shuttle launch = ~23 hours of 747 air travel emissions

6: Costs of Space Exploration

  • Financials:
    • NASA’s Mars Perseverance Rover mission cost: ~$2.7 billion
  • Debate:
    • Allocation towards terrestrial vs. space issues

6.1 Space Tourism Going Private

  • Space X:
    • Drastically reduced cost of space launch with Falcon rockets
    • Avg. cost per launch now around $62 million (contrast to $100 to $500 million prior to Falcon)
  • Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic
    • Suborbital space tourism
    • Ticket around $250,000 per passenger

7: Unintended Benefits of Space Exploration

  • Technological spinoffs:
    • GPS technology, initially for military/naval use
    • Memory foam, developed for aircraft cushions
  • Anecdote:
    • Camera phones using tech developed for space imaging

8: The Debate on Extraterrestrial Life

  • Search efforts:
    • Mars rovers searching for microbial life signs
  • Philosophical implication:
    • “Are we alone?” A question driving human curiosity

9: Ethical Considerations of Space Colonization

  • Terraforming Mars:
    • Ethical debate on transforming another planet
  • Protecting potential life:
    • Planetary protection protocols to avoid contamination

10: The “Escape Plan” Mentality

  • Critique:
    • Viewing space as an “escape” from Earth’s issues
  • Anecdote:
    • Stephen Hawking’s warning about Earth’s fragility and the need for an alternative
  • Interesting Pop Culture/Sci-Fi Reference: The Wandering Earth Possible Space Colony?

11: Space Exploration and Global Power Dynamics

  • New “Cold War”:
    • Space as a geopolitical arena
      • U.S. Space Force (2019)
      • China’s Chang’e Program (2020)
      • UAE’s Hope Probe (2021)
    • Nations showcasing technological prowess.
  • International Competition:
    • Moon and Mars missions by various countries.
    • Satellite launches for national security and communication.
  • Limitation of existing treaty: Outer Space Treaty (1967)
  • Anti-Satellite Tests: U.S. Russia, China, India

12: Public Perception and Oversight

  • Public Engagement:
    • Growing interest in space tourism.
    • Debates on the ethical implications of colonization.
  • Oversight Concerns:
    • Calls for transparent governance of space activities.
    • Concerns over weaponization and space debris management.

13: Sustainability in Space Exploration

  • Green Propulsion:
    • Development of eco-friendly rocket fuels.
    • Reduction in launch emissions.
  • Space Debris Mitigation:
    • Initiatives for debris tracking and removal.
    • International agreements on responsible space activities.

14: Future Visions - Where Are We Heading?

  • Mars Colonization:
    • Plans for sustainable habitats on Mars.
    • Research on closed-loop life support systems.
  • Asteroid Mining:
    • Potential for extracting valuable minerals.
    • Ethical and legal considerations of exploiting extraterrestrial resources.

15: Reflecting on Our Place in the Universe

  • Cosmic Perspective:
    • The “Overview Effect”: Astronauts’ profound experience of seeing Earth from space.
    • Realizing Earth’s uniqueness and vulnerability.
  • Stewardship and Exploration:
    • Balancing the drive to explore with the responsibility to protect our home planet and its ecosystems.

16: The Growing Problem of Space Debris

  • Space Junk Stats:
    • Over 500,000 pieces of debris tracked in orbit.
    • Threats to satellites and the International Space Station (ISS).
  • Collision Risks:
    • High-speed impacts with even small debris can cause significant damage.
    • Notable incidents: Damage to space shuttles, satellite collisions.

17: The Challenges of Space Waste Management

  • Limited Cleanup Solutions:
    • Emerging technologies for debris removal still in infancy.
    • Challenges in cost-effective and scalable solutions.
  • Global Efforts:
    • Need for international cooperation on space waste management.
    • Potential for collaborative clean-up missions and debris mitigation protocols.

Not without tweaking DNA

18: Mars Colonization and Environmental Ethics

  • Terraforming Ethics:
    • Debate on the moral right to alter another planet’s environment.
    • Potential impact on undiscovered Martian ecosystems.
  • Precautionary Measures:
    • Importance of stringent planetary protection measures.
    • Ensuring Mars exploration does not harm potential life or the Martian environment.

19: Cosmic Perspective on Environmental Stewardship

  • Learning from Space:
    • Space missions highlighting Earth’s finite resources and delicate ecosystems.
    • Insights into climate processes and environmental protection.
  • Ethical Exploration:
    • Advocating for responsible and ethical conduct in all space endeavors.
    • Ensuring space exploration benefits humanity without compromising Earth’s ecological balance.

Building Your Space Spectacle

The Formula (Reminder)

Fact + Human Story + Stakes = Spectacle

Weak

“Space exploration costs money”

Better

“SpaceX is worth $100 billion”

Spectacle

“Elon Musk’s rocket company is worth more than the entire climate adaptation budget of the 50 poorest countries combined.”

PRO-CLIMATE: Make It Personal

Don’t say: “Space exploration wastes resources.”

Say: “Jeff Bezos spent $5.5 billion on 11 minutes in space. That’s more than the entire annual budget for UNICEF clean water programs. You’re watching billionaires play astronaut while children die of thirst.”

Don’t say: “We should focus on Earth.”

Say: “Mars has no oxygen, no water, no life. Earth has all three — and we’re destroying them. The ‘backup planet’ fantasy is just rich people planning their escape.”

PRO-DEVELOPMENT: Paint the Picture

Don’t say: “Space technology has spinoffs.”

Say: “GPS, weather satellites, fire detection from orbit — space technology saves more lives per year than all climate NGOs combined. You want to cut that?”

Don’t say: “Humans need a backup planet.”

Say: “The dinosaurs didn’t have a space program. They’re extinct. One asteroid and everything we’ve built — every symphony, every cure, every child’s laugh — gone forever. Space isn’t escape. It’s insurance.”

Human Story: The Overview Effect

Every astronaut who sees Earth from space reports the same thing: profound awe at Earth’s fragility and unity. Borders disappear. The atmosphere looks impossibly thin.

PRO-CLIMATE says: “That’s the point! They realize Earth is all we have. Stop going to space — start protecting home.”

PRO-DEVELOPMENT says: “That’s also the point! Only by going to space do we truly understand Earth. The environmental movement was born from the Apollo 8 ‘Earthrise’ photo.”

The real question: Does space exploration wake us up to Earth’s fragility — or distract us from saving it?

Remember: Fact-Check Your Stories

OK to Say

  • “One rocket launch = 300 tons CO₂” (documented)
  • “SpaceX valuation >$100 billion” (financial records)
  • “500,000+ debris pieces in orbit” (ESA tracking)

NOT OK

  • “Billionaires don’t care about Earth” (mind-reading)
  • “Space will save humanity” (unfounded prophecy)
  • “Rockets are the main cause of emissions” (false — tiny %)

20. Change of Plan with role-finding this week

Experts/Influencers on:

  • Space Exploration Advocacy versus
  • Vowing to pause space exploration for more important issues like climate change

General Public as:

  1. Educators and academics from STEM
  2. Policy makers and government officials
  3. Business leaders and entrepreneurs in energy sector
  4. Social scientists and ethicists
  5. Tech industry professionals
  6. Self-defined (Pick as you wish)

21. Wrapping up CCGL9065

  • Foster critical thinking
  • We have one topic
    • Step 1: From which we picked two different sides
    • Step 2: From each sides there are a multitude of angles of expression
      • What left a mark on your perception?
      • And how can you influence other people with these experience?

Practical Question: Essay-Writing Clarification

  • YOUR response to climate change with HK 2100 in mind
  • “story” not to be confused with “fiction”
    • story-telling \(≠\) story-creation
  • Objective: Write a reflective essay (750 words max) that uses a narrative to propose a realistic climate change solution.
  • Grading criteria:
    • address the task aka provide an individual response in writing
    • show engagement of your topic w/ overarching climate change theme
    • present clear, logical argument from various perspectives, including counter-evidence if any
    • coherent structure with clear call of action and conclusion, proper paragraphing, minimal language errors
  • Final Note: The essay and visual should not only reflect academic insights but also aim to inspire broader awareness and action on climate change.